Totemism is a belief system in which humans have a spiritual connection or kinship with a spirit-being, such as an animal or plant, often referred to as a "totem." This concept is primarily associated with indigenous cultures and is characterized by the veneration of these totems as emblems of a group, clan, or tribe. While totemism is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, the Scriptures provide insights into the broader context of idolatry and the worship of created things, which can be related to the principles underlying totemism.

Biblical Context

The Bible consistently warns against the worship of idols and the veneration of created things, emphasizing the worship of the one true God. In the Old Testament, the Israelites are repeatedly cautioned against adopting the religious practices of surrounding nations, which often included the worship of animals and nature. For instance, in Deuteronomy 4:15-19, the Israelites are instructed: "So be very careful yourselves, since you saw no form on the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves an idol in the form of any figure, whether in the likeness of a man or woman, or an animal on the earth, or a bird that flies in the air, or any creature that crawls on the ground, or any fish in the waters below."

The worship of animals and nature is further condemned in passages such as Romans 1:22-23, where the Apostle Paul writes, "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles." This passage highlights the folly of exchanging the worship of the Creator for the worship of His creation.

Relation to Totemism

While totemism as a specific practice is not directly addressed in the Bible, the underlying principle of attributing spiritual significance to animals or natural objects can be seen as a form of idolatry. The Bible's emphasis on the exclusive worship of God and the rejection of idolatry serves as a clear directive against any practice that elevates created things to a status of reverence or worship.

In the context of biblical teaching, the veneration of totems would be seen as contrary to the first commandment, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3). The Bible calls believers to recognize God as the sole object of worship and to avoid practices that could lead to the elevation of created things to divine status.

Cultural and Historical Considerations

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the worship of animals and nature was prevalent, and the Israelites were often tempted to adopt these practices. The biblical narrative frequently recounts instances where the Israelites fell into idolatry, such as the worship of the golden calf (Exodus 32), which can be seen as a form of animal veneration akin to totemism.

The prophets of Israel consistently called the people back to the worship of Yahweh alone, denouncing the worship of idols and emphasizing God's sovereignty over all creation. Isaiah 44:9-20 vividly describes the futility of idol-making and the absurdity of worshiping objects crafted by human hands.

Theological Implications

From a theological perspective, totemism and similar practices are seen as distortions of the truth about God and His creation. The Bible teaches that all of creation is a testament to God's power and majesty, but it is not to be worshiped. Instead, creation is meant to point humanity to the Creator, as expressed in Psalm 19:1, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands."

In summary, while totemism is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible, the principles of idolatry and the worship of created things are addressed extensively. The biblical call is to worship God alone, recognizing Him as the Creator and Sustainer of all life, and to avoid practices that elevate any part of creation to a status of reverence or worship.1. (n.) The system of distinguishing families, clans, etc., in a tribe by the totem.

2. (n.) Superstitious regard for a totem; the worship of any real or imaginary object; nature worship.

TOTEMISM

to'-tem-iz'-m: How far the belief in totems and totemistic relationships existed in early Israel cannot be discussed at length here. Evidence of the belief in deified animal ancestors is supposed by some writers to be found in the tribal names Leah ("wild cow"?), Rachel ("ewe"), Simeon (synonymous with the Arabic sim`u, which denotes a cross between a wolf and a hyena), Hamor ("ass"), Caleb ("dog"), Zibiah ("gazelle"), etc. But these names in themselves "do not prove a totem stage in the development of Israel" (HPN, 114); philologically, the view has a shaky foundation (see, e.g. article "Leah" in 1-vol HDB).

Again, it is true that, as a rule, in totemic communities the individual may not kill or eat the name-giving object of his kin, these animals being regarded as sacred in totem worship and therefore "unclean" (taboo) as food. But the attempt to connect such personal names as Shaphan ("rock-badger"), Achbor ("mouse"), Huldah ("weasel")-all from the time of Josiah (2 Kings 22:3, 12, 14; compare Deborah ("bee"), Gaal ("beetle"?), Told ("crimson worm," "cochineal"), Nabash ("serpent"))-with the list of unclean animals in Leviticus 11 (see 11:5 (margin), 29) and Deuteronomy 14 is beset with difficulties (compare, however, Isaiah 66:17 Ezekiel 8:10), since all the names cannot possibly be explained on this ground.

See also SACRIFICE, II, 2, (4); VI, 1.

Robertson Smith (followed by Stade and Benzinger) strongly advocated the view "that clear traces of totemism can be found in early Israel" (see HDB, III, 100). G. B. Gray also seems inclined to favor the view that some of these names may be "indirectly derivative from a totem stage of society" (HDB, III, 483), while at the same time he recognizes that "the only question is whether other explanations are not equally satisfactory" (HPN, 105).

Other writers, such as Wellhausen, Noldeke (ZDMG, 157 f, 1886), Marti (Gesch. der israelit. Religion, 4th edition, 24), Addis (Hebrew Rel., 33), have opposed or abandoned theory as applied to Israel.

"Upon the whole we must conclude once more that, while it is certainly possible that Totemism once prevailed in Israel, its prevalence cannot be proved; and, above all, we must hold that the religion of Israel as it presents itself in the Old Testament has not retained the very slightest recollection of such a state of things" (Kautzsch, HDB, extra vol, 614 f; compare p. 623).

The theory is also opposed by Job. Jacobs (article "Are there Totem-Clans in the Old Testament?" in Archaeol. Review, III (1889), number 3,145;); F.V. Zapletal, Der Totemismus u. die Religion Israels; and S. A. Cook, in JQR, XIV, number 55.

The evidence on either side is inconclusive, but the weight of authority is opposed to the view that totemism ever existed in Israel. What is certain is that totemism was never a potent factor, either in the early religion of Israel as an organized people, or in any of the dominant cults of the historical period as a whole (see articles "Family" in HDB, I, 850 (Bennett); "Sacrifice," HDB, IV, 331 (Paterson), and DEFILEMENT (Crannell), IMAGES, 3, 6 (Cobern), and ISRAEL, RELIGION OF, II, 1, (4) (Orelli), in this Encyclopedia).

LITERATURE.

In addition to the works cited in the text, see, for theory of the prevalence of totemism in early Israel, W. R. Smith, Religion of the Semites (2nd edition, 1894), Kinship and Marriage in Early Arabia (1903); A. F. Scot, Offering and Sacrifice (1900); and I. Benzinger, Hebraische Archaol. (1907); against, Eric Brit, 11th edition, XIII, 177, article "Hebrew Religion" (Whitehouse); Standard BD, 782; Temple DB, article "Shaphan." For a general account and discussion of totemism, see Frazer, Totemism and Exogamy (1910) and The Golden Bough (3rd edition, 1907-13); Westermarck, History of Human Marriage (1891); Deans, Tales from the Totems of Hidery (1898); Lang, Myth, Ritual, Religion (new edition, 1899), The Secret of the Totem (1905), and article "Totemism" in Encyclopedia Brit, 11th edition, XXVII, with extensive bibliography; HDB, extra vol, 115; and Cymru, 1892-93, p. 137; 1893-94, p. 7.

M. O. Evans

Chapter xxix
... ewe" and "Leah" "wild cow," that fact in itself does not support the groundless
contention that the early stages of the patriarchal religion included totemism. ...
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Chapter xii
... are referring to. Prominent among these is the attitude which describes
the early religion of Israel as totemism. This endeavours ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xii.htm

Totemism
...TOTEMISM. ... The evidence on either side is inconclusive, but the weight of authority
is opposed to the view that totemism ever existed in Israel. ...
/t/totemism.htm - 11k

Totter (9 Occurrences)

/t/totter.htm - 8k

Totally (27 Occurrences)

/t/totally.htm - 14k

Zeeb (3 Occurrences)
... Robertson Smith, Kinship, etc. (190;, 218;), says that the use of the names
of animals as names of persons is a relic of totemism. ...
/z/zeeb.htm - 10k

Oreb (4 Occurrences)
... Robertson Smith, Kinship, etc. (190;, 218;), says that the use of the names
of animals as names of persons is a relic of totemism. ...
/o/oreb.htm - 10k

Wolf (4 Occurrences)
... Such animal names are frequently given to ward off the evil eye. See also TOTEMISM.
Alfred Ely Day. Multi-Version Concordance Wolf (4 Occurrences). ...
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Shaphan (26 Occurrences)
... shaphan, "rockbadger," English Versions of the Bible "coney"; Saphphan): An old
totem clan name (so WR Smith; compare, however, the article TOTEMISM; Gray, Gray ...
/s/shaphan.htm - 18k

Defilement (12 Occurrences)
... the supposed origins of the idea and details of defilement, as from hygienic or
aesthetic causes, "natural aversions," "taboo," "totemism," associations with ...
/d/defilement.htm - 21k

Defile (63 Occurrences)
... the supposed origins of the idea and details of defilement, as from hygienic or
aesthetic causes, "natural aversions," "taboo," "totemism," associations with ...
/d/defile.htm - 38k

Images (158 Occurrences)
... That primitive man was so stupid that he could not tell the difference between men
and things, and that therefore totemism or fetishism or a low form of ...
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